Apparatus for providing test specimens in the form of spots

ABSTRACT

AN APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING TEST SPECIMENS IN THE FORM OF SPOTS. THE APPARATUS INCLUDES A SUPPORTING STRUCTURE FOR SUPPORTING A SHEET MATERIAL WHICH IS TO RECEIVE THE SPOTS. A RACK IS PROVIDED TO HOLD BEAKERS OR OTHER CONTAINERS IN WHICH THE SPECIMEN MATERIAL IS SITUATED DISSOLVED IN SUITABLE LIQUID SOLVENT. A CARRIER STRUCTURE CARRIES A PLURALITY OF CAPILLARY TUBES WHICH HAVE RECEIVING ENDS SITUATED IN THE BEAKERS IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE SOLVENT THEREIN WHEN THE RACK IS PLACED AT A PREDETERMINED POSITION WITH RESPECT TO THE CARRIER STRUCTURE FOR THE CAPILLARY TUBES. THESE TUBES RESPECTIVELY HAVE DISCHARGE ENDS WHICH ARE SPACED SUITABLY FROM EACH OTHER AND LOCATED OVER THE SUPPORTING STRUCTURE FOR THE SHEET MATERIAL SO THAT THROUGH CAPILLARY ACTION THE SPECIMENS DISSOLVED IN THE SOLVENT WILL BE DEPOSITED ON THE SHEET MATERIAL TO FORM THEREON SPECIMENS IN THE FORM OF DRY SPOTS RESULTING FROM EVAPORATION OF THE SOLVENT.

P 1973 B. A. QUAME 3,758,275

APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING TEST SPECIMENS IN FORM OF SPOTS Filed July 2,1971 2 Sheets-Shoat 1 54 70 70 INVENTOR. 2 BABINGTON A. QUAME ATTORNEYSSept. 11, 1973 B. A. QUAME 3,758,275

APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING TEST SIECIMENS IN FORM OF SPOTS Filed July 2,1971 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 62 NH; :1 M M 5 INVENTOR.

BAB l NGTON A. QUAME BY ,2 z 2 A TTORN E Y5 United States Patent O3,758,275 APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING TEST SPECIMENS IN THE FORM OF SPOTSBabington A. Quame, 331 E. 29th St., New York, N.Y. 10016 Filed July 2,1971, Ser. No. 159,346 Int. Cl. G01n N14 US. Cl. 23-259 Claims ABSTRACTOF THE DISCLOSURE An apparatus for providing test specimens in the formof spots. The apparatus includes a supporting structure for supporting asheet material which is to receive the spots. A rack is provided to holdbeakers or other containers in which the specimen material is situateddissolved in suitable liquid solvent. A carrier structure carries aplurality of capillary tubes which have receiving ends situated in thebeakers in communication with the solvent therein when the rack isplaced at a predetermined position with respect to the carrier structurefor the capillary tubes. These tubes respectively have discharge endswhich are spaced suitably from each other and located over thesupporting structure for the sheet material so that through capillaryaction the specimens dissolved in the solvent will be deposited on thesheet material to form thereon specimens in the form of dry spotsresulting from evaporation of the solvent.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to anapparatus for providing specimens in the form of spots situated onsuitable sheet material.

At the present time it is known that specimens or samples can beprovided in the form of spots on suitable sheet material. The specimenis usually located initially in a beaker forming a residue therein. Asolvent is added to the beaker to dissolve the specimen, and then it isconventional through tedious time-consuming manual operations to utilizea capillary tube for transferring the dissolved specimen together withthe solvent to a suitable thin-layer plate or paper. Particularly wherea number of spots are to be provided on such sheet material, an extremeamount of time-consuming manual operations are required.

A further disadvantage encountered with conventional arrangements ofthis type resides in the fact that when the solvent With the desiredspecimen or sample dissolved therein is applied through the aboveOperations in the form of a spot on suitable sheet material, it isnecessary to permit the solvent to evaporate so that a dry spot will beachieved. This requirement also involves loss of time.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is accordingly a primary object of thepresent invention to provide an apparatus which will avoid the abovedrawbacks.

In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide anapparatus which is capable of providing a relatively large number ofspecimens in the form of dry spots on suitable sheet material in amanner which will provide these specimens in a period of time which isfar shorter than has heretofore been possible and in a manner which willeliminate all of the tedious time-consuming manual operations previouslyrequired.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus ofthis type which can be manufactured at a relatively low cost and whichcan be used by relatively unskilled personnel.

In addition it is an object of the present invention to Patented Sept.11, 1973 provide for an apparatus of the above type a structure whichwill reduce to a minimum the time required for the solvent to evaporate.

Also it is an object of the present invention to provide an arrangementwhich will conveniently be capable of handling a relatively large numberof specimens.

According to the invention the apparatus includes a support means forsupporting a sheet material which is to receive the spots. A rackcarries a plurality of containers in which the specimens are located,dissolved in a suitable solvent. A carrier means is carried by thesupport means between the rack and the sheet material, and this carriermeans carries a plurality of capillary tubes which have receiving endsrespectively situated within and communicating with the solvent in thecontainers carried by the rack when the latter is placed in thepredetermined position on the support means. These capillary tubesrespectively have discharge ends which are suitably spaced from eachother and which are located over the support means above the sheetmaterial thereon so that through capillary action the solvent in theseveral containers is delivered through the capillary tubes onto thesheet material. A suitable heating means is provided for hastening theevaporation of the solvent on the sheet material so that dry spots ofthe specimens will remain on the sheet material suitably spaced fromeach other in accordance with the spacing of the discharge ends of thecapillary tubes from each other.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION 'OF DRAWINGS" The invention is illustrated by way ofexample in the accompanying drawings which form part of this applicationand in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective illustration of an apparatus according to thepresent invention shown without the carrier means for the capillarytubes, without the sheet material which receives the spots, and withoutthe rack for the beakers which contain the specimens dissolved insuitable solvent;

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective illustration of the manner in which aplurality of capillary tubes are arranged with respect to beakers and asheet material which is to receive the spots;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 shown with the rackfor the beakers and with the carrier means and capillary tubes carriedthereby;

FIG. 4 is a transverse sectional elevation of the structure of FIG. 3taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3 in the direction of the arrows; and

FIG. 5 is a wiring diagram showing the electrical circuitry of theapparatus of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings,there is shown in FIG. 1 a support means 10 made of any suitable rigidmaterial such as wood, plastic, metal, or the like or any combination ofthese materials. The support means 10 includes side walls 12 and a frontwall 14. The side walls 12 and front wall 14 are fixed to extendupwardly from a bottom wall 16'which is visible in FIG. 4, and behindthe front wall 14 is a rear wall 18, the inner surface of which isvisible in FIG. 4.

The support means 10 also includes a top wall 20 having a rear elongatedportion 22 extending all the way across the space between and beingfixed to the top edges of the side walls 12 and rear wall 18. This topwall 20 includes also a pair of side portions 24 which extend forwardlyfrom the rear transverse portion 22. These portions 22 and 24 of the topwall 20 are situated at an elevation higher than the central frontportion 26 of the top wall of the support means '10. Between the upperportions 22 and 24 of the top wall 20 and the lower portion 26 thereofis a vertically extending part of the top wall 20, this verticallyextending part having a rear transversely extending portion 28 extendingbetween and fixed to the wall portion 22 and wall portion 26, and thetop wall 20 has a pair of vertically extending side portions 30extending between and fixed to the wall portion 26 and the portions 24of the top wall 20. These wall portions 30 are also illustrated in FIG.4.

Thus, the vertically extending wall portions 28 and 30 of the top wall20 extend upwardly from the periphery of the wall portion 26 of thesupport means 10. This wall portion 26 is adapted to support a sheetmaterial 32, fragmentarily illustrated in FIG. 2. This sheet material 32will have a size corresponding to the area of the wall portion 26, andthe vertical wall portions 28 and 30 will extend upwardly from the edgesof the sheet material 32. This sheet material 32 may be a suitableprecoated thinlayer chromatographic plate or paper to receive the spotswhich initially are in the form of specimens dissolved in suitableorganic solvent, the specimens or samples being spotted on thethin-layer plate or paper to concentrate the specimen or sample to asmall diameter at the location where they are applied to the sheetmaterial 32. This sheet material 32 may, for example, have dimensions onthe order of 20 cm. by 20 cm. As is also indicated in FIG. 2, thesamples or specimens are initially located in organic solvent within thecontainers such as the several beakers 34 schematically represented inFIG. 2. A plurality of capillary tubes 36 have receiving ends located inthese beakers 34 so that the solvent with the specimens dissolvedtherein will travel by capillary action through the several capillarytubes 36. These capillary tubes are carried by an elongated carriermeans 38 in the form of a suitable elongated bar formed with boresthrough which the several capillary tubes 36 extend so as to be carriedby the carrier means 38. This elongated bar 38 may be in the form of anyelongated rod of rigid material, made of wood, plastic, metal or thelike, and having a rectangular or square cross section. The severalcapillary tubes 36 have discharge ends 40, respectively, which becomesituated over the sheet material 32 carried by the support means 10 atthe area 26 thereof, so that through capillary action the solvent withthe specimens dissolved therein is deposited from the several containers34 onto the sheet material 32 in the form of a plurality of spots 42,and upon evaporation of the solvent the specimens will remain in theform of dry spots on the sheet material 32. Of course it is to beunderstood that the illustration in FIG. 2 is schematic only and thatactually in the apparatus of the invention it is possible to locate arelatively large number of capillary tubes and beakers 34 in order toprovide a relatively large number of spots 42 distributed across thesheet material 32.

Referring now to FIG. 1, the support means 10- further includes a pairof opposed side walls 44 fixed to and extending upwardly from the rearportion 22 of the top wall 20. At their front ends the side walls 44terminate next to a pair of upstanding channels 46 of substantiallyU-shaped cross section. These channels 46 are fixed to and extend fromthe top surface of the top wall 20. While the channels 46 are shown atthe region of the rear of the wall portion 26, they may be located atthe front region of the rear portion 22 of the top wall 20, if desired.

The hollow interiors 48 of the channels 46 are directed toward eachother. These hollow interiors 48 have top open ends and may extend allthe way down to the top surface of the top wall 20. However, the hollowinteriors 48 may be terminated at a suitable distance above the topsurface of the top wall 20, if desired, depending upon the height of thecarrier means 38. The length of the carrier means 38 is such that itsopposed end regions can be slipped down into the channels 48 so thatwhen the carrier means 38 is introduced into these channels it will beproperly held thereby with the several capillary tubes situated at aproper elevation with respect to support means 10.

The inner side surfaces of the upstanding walls 44 fixedly carryelongated stop bears 50 which have rear ends situated at locations whichwill determine the position of a rack which carries several beakers 34.

Referring to FIG. 3, it will be seen that a rack 52 is illustratedcarrying a plurality of beakers 34. This rack 52 may be in the form ofan elongated bar of wood, plastic, metal, or the like, formed withsuitable openings in which the several beakers 34 are located. Thecarrier means 38 is also illustrated Within the channels of theupstanding members 46. The rack 52 simply rests directly on the rearportion 22 of the top wall 20, and after the carrier means 38 issituated within the hollow interiors 48 of the channels 46, the rack 52is moved forwardly along the top surface of the rear portion 22 of thetop wall 20. The result will be that the several receiving ends of theseveral capillary tubes 36 will extend into solvent in the severalbeakers 34. The discharge ends 40 of the several capillary tubes 36 arearranged as illustrated in FIG. 3 so as to provide a row of spots 42suitably distributed with respect to each other across the sheet 32.

Thus, in order to use the apparatus the operator will first place aplurality of capillary tubes 36 in clean, dry condition, carried by thecarrier means 38 on the apparatus in the manner illustrated in FIG. 3,and then the beakers 34 carried by the rack 52 will be placed in theposition illustrated so that the receiving ends of the capillary tubeswill extend into the solvent so that the latter will travel through thecapillary tubes onto the sheet 32 in order to provide the spots thereon.As the operator moves the rack 52 forwardly it will extend up to thestop members 50 to be held thereby at locations which will assure thatthe receiving ends of the capillary tubes 36 extend into the solvent.

In order to provide a relatively rapid absorption and evaporation of theorganic solvent specimens, a heating means is provided. This heatingmeans includes electrical heating elements 54 suitably insulated andarranged beneath the wall portion 26 of the support means 10 in themanner shown in FIG. 4.

In addition to the heating provided by the heating elements 54, a blowermeans 56 is provided. This blower means is in the form of a suitable fanor blower driven by a suitable motor and sucking air in from theexterior through an inlet pipe 58. This pipe extends to the exteriorthrough one of the side walls 12 and the blower and motor assembly iscarried by the bottom wall 16 beneath the wall portion 26.

The blower means 56 has an upwardly directed discharge end 60communicating with an elongated tube 62 which extends across the wall 26beneath the latter, and this tube 62 has upwardly directed dischargeends 64 directing the air into the elongated channels 66 situatedbeneath the wall portions 24. The vertical wall portions 30 arerespectively formed with elongated slots 68 which extend from the regionof the rear vertical wall portion 28 to the region of the front wall 14,so that through these slots 68 air streams will be directed across asheet 32 on the wall portion 26. Suitable heating elements 70 aresituated in the path of flow of the discharge air flowing from thedischarge 60 into the tube 62, so that the air will be heated by theheating elements 70.

The front wall 14 carries the controls for the apparatus. As may be seenfrom FIG. 3, through a suitable cord 72 having electrical conductorstherein a plug 74 may be situated in any suitable wall outlet to providethe electrical energy required to operate the apparatus of theinvention. The front wall 14 carries a switch-operating element 74 forturning the apparatus on an off. In addition there is a pilot light 76.Also the front wall 14 carries a rotary control knob 78 for controllingthe heating elements 54 and a rotary control knob 80 for controlling theheating elements 70.

Referring now to FIG. 5, the switch-operating element 74 is operativelyconnected with a switch 82 for turning the entire apparatus on and off.This switch is situated in one of the lines 84 to which the apparatus isconnected by the plug 74. Between these lines is connected a motor 86connected to the blower means 56, so that when the switch 82 is closedby manipulation of the knob 74 the blower means 56 will be operated.

The rotary control knob 70 is connected to a rotary contact 88 which canconnect into the circuit either the left heating element 54 shown inFIG. 5 or the pair of right heating elements 54 shown in FIG. 5depending upon the position of the control 78. This control 78 canlocate the rotary contact 88 in an off position where it does notconnect any of the heating elements 54 into the circuit or it may have awarm position connecting only one element into the circuit or a hotposition connecting a pair of the heating elements into the circuit.Thus, in a position shown in FIG. 5 the central heating element 54 willbe connected into the circuit while in the hot position the pair ofheating elements 54, located at opposite sides of the central element54, will be connected into the circuit.

The heating elements 70 are also shown in FIG. 5. The manipulation ofthe knob 80 will connect one or both of these elements into the circuit.Thus, the knob 80 is connected to a rotary contact member 90 carrying anelec trically conductive element 92 and an elongated electricallyconductive element 94 extending along an arc of a circle whose center isin the turning axis of the rotary contact 90. The element 92 willcontact only the left contact 70 while the element 94 which is insulatedby material 96 from the element 92 will engage both of the heatingelements 70 to connect them both into the circuit. Thus in the hotposition of control 80 both elements will be located in the path of airwhile in the warm position shown in FIG. 5 only one element 70 will belocated in the path of heating air. This control 80 also has an ofl?position where neither one of the heating elements 70 will be connectedinto the circuit.

FIG. 5 also shows the manner in which the pilot lamp 76 is connectedinto the circuit.

Thus, with the apparatus of the invention it is possible to providecontrols according to which the sheet material 32 is heated either byheating elements 54 or by an air stream which may be heated to anadjustable extent, or both of these expedients may be usedsimultaneously if desired, and in this way an extremely rapidevaporation of the solvent is achieved to provide the dry spots on thepaper.

It is apparent from the above description that the apparatus of theinvention can be manufactured at relatively low cost in order to achievea substantially automatic deposition of spots on the paper or plate. Theonly manual operations required is placing of the beakers intoengagement with the stops 50 so that the receiving ends of the capillarytubes will extend into the solvent, and then all of the operations willfollow automatically. A sheet 32 with the spots thereon is easilyremoved from the wall 26 because the side wall portions 30 extend allthe way to the front wall 14 so that a sheet or plate which is toreceive the spots can be readily slipped onto and off from the wall 26through the space between the vertical wall portions 30 at the front endregions of the latter.

What is claimed is:

1. In an apparatus for providing specimens in the form of spots on agiven sheet material, stationary support means for supporting the sheetmaterial which is to receive the spots and for maintaining the sheetstationary while it is supported by said support means, a rack forcarrying containers having specimen material dissolved in solventtherein, and a plurality of capillary tubes respectively havingreceiving ends to be situated at the containers carried by the rack incommunication with the interiors of the containers, respectively, forreceiving the specimens dissolved in the solvent and respectively havingdischarge ends spaced from each other and situated over said supportmeans to deposit the solvent with the specimens dissolved therein ontothe stationary sheet material carried by said support means, wherebyupon evaporation of the solvent the specimens in the form of spots willbe situated on the sheet material which may then be manually removedfrom the stationary support means.

2. The combination of claim 1 and wherein an elongated carrier meanscarries the capillary tubes.

3. The combination of claim 2 and wherein said support means supportssaid carrier means at a position for situating the receiving ends ofsaid capillary tubes in said containers when the rack with containerscarried thereby is placed in a predetermined position on the supportmeans.

4. The combination of claim .3 and wherein a heating means is carried bysaid support means for heating the sheet material to hasten theevaporation of the solvent.

5. The combination of claim 3 and wherein a blower means is carried bysaid support means for blowing warm air over said sheet material carriedby the support means for hastening the evaporation of the solvent.

6. The combination of claim 5 and wherein said support means includes asupporting wall on which the sheet material is to be placed beneath thedischarge ends of said capillary tubes, said wall having a pair ofupstanding portions situated at opposed side edges of the sheet materialand formed with elongated openings, said blower means communicating withsaid openings for directing air streams toward each other from the sideedges of the sheet across the latter.

7. The combination of claim 3 and wherein a heating means coats withsaid support means for heating sheet material carried thereby to hastenevaporation of the solvent, and wherein a blower means communicates withthe space over the sheet material for directing across the sheetmaterial a stream of air for also contributing to the rapidity of theevaporation of the solvent.

8. The combination of claim 3 and wherein said support means removablysupports said carrier means so that the latter and the capillary tubescan be readily placed on or removed from said support means.

9. The combination of claim 8 and wherein said rack carries a pluralityof beakers having open ends through which the receiving ends of saidcapillary tubes are received to be placed in communication withspecimens dissolved in a solvent in the beakers.

10. The combination of claim 9 and wherein a positioning means carriedby said support means coacts with said rack for positioning the latterto situate the receiving ends of the capillary tubes in the beakers incommunication with the solvent therein.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,368,872 2/1968 Natelson 23-2533,533,744 10/1970 Unger 23-259 X 3,554,700 1/1971 Maxon 23-259 X3,607,090 9/ 1971 Maxon 23-253 3,650,698 3/ 1972 Adler 23-259 X MORRISO. WOLK, Primary Examiner R. E. SERWIN, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

23-253 TP, R; 141-130

